Responding to the UNHCR’s call on the Hungarian government to withdraw the “Stop Soros” bill, which was submitted on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said the top priority of the government was to ensure the security of the Hungarian people.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said the UNHCR in recent years had attacked the Hungarian government more than ten times in connection with its protection of the borders against illegal immigration. The UN body argues that migrants should be free to travel between countries and that illegal border crossings should go unpunished, the ministry said.

“The Hungarian Government does not accept this,” its statement said, adding that illegal migration was not a fundamental human right. “Aiding illegal migration is not an act of humanity but a crime and security risk. Migration is a national security matter,” the ministry said.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees called on the Hungarian government on Tuesday to withdraw the bill which, it said, would considerably restrict NGOs and private individuals in the endeavours to help refugees and asylum seekers.

“Asylum is a fundamental human right, not a criminal offense,” Pascale Moreau, the UNHCR’s European head, said.